Sahalee Country Club

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Sahalee’s Vital Stats
• Opened: 1969
• Location: Sammamish, Washington
• Designer: Ted Robinson
• Grounds: 27 holes
• Classification: Private
• Web site: www.sahalee.com

Do all golfers go to heaven?

Well, not all. Sure, there are courses that clutter every golfer’s “Bucket List.” Pebble, Augusta, Pinehurst and St. Andrews are all clear contenders. But, even if you’ve had the pleasure of playing these courses and more, you my friend have still not reached golf’s zenith. Sahalee or “High Heavenly Ground,” from the Chinookan language, is literally heaven on earth. A round at Sahalee is one spent, trapped its labyrinth of 80-year-old Douglas and Cedar Fir trees. Known as “King of the Waterscapes,” course designer, Ted Robinson, crafted the North, South and East courses to blend melodically within the Northwestern landscape. “One of the main challenges of designing in lush natural setting is the preservation of what nature has already provided in abundance,” states his web site. “Melding the course into the natural topography and existing vegetation is a very high priority.”

Rich Taylor, Golf Course Superintendent

TGM: What types of “no-mow” are at Sahalee Country Club and have you seen any benefits?
RT: Our “no-mow” areas are the wooded areas of the golf course, which consists of about 25 acres. I don’t know if much has changed since the golf course was developed. These wooded areas have been here ever since the golf course, the course was built around the forest’s Fir trees.

TGM: What steps have you taken to conserve energy and/or water on the golf course?
RT: Well, we have a pretty sophisticated irrigation system and our policy is to have firm and fast conditions on the course, and this means no over watering.

TGM: Have you incorporated any waste reduction programs at Sahalee Country Club?
RT: We do our normal recycling of items around the golf course facilities.  

TGM: As you prepare for the 2010 Senior Open, are there any projects that you’re working on?
RT: Nothing real significant. When these tournaments come to golf courses, generally the golf courses are in pretty good condition and ready to host the tournament. So, there’s not a lot that we have to do differently in order to prepare.